How far do they go?: A spatial examination of missing persons from hospitals

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna Ferguson ◽  
Jacek Koziarski
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Spatial Analyses ◽  
Spatial Behaviour ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Missing Persons ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Hospital Patients ◽  
Case Files ◽  
Hospital Resources

PurposeMissing person cases are a global issue impacting policing. Among these, those who abscond from hospitals are especially concerning because these reports require collaboration across services, often strain already limited police and hospital resources and present an elevated level of possible harm due to high prevalence of mental illness, disability and/or addiction. Despite this, to-date, there has been a lack of scholarly attention on this phenomenon from a policing perspective. The present study aims to fill this gap by exploring how far missing hospital patients travel and where they are commonly found.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 731 closed case files (2014–2018) from one police service, we identify spatial behaviour patterns specific to this group of missing persons.FindingsResults suggest that most do not leave the hospital grounds or stay within a 5-km radius. Others were found close to the hospital, within city limits and/or returned of their own volition. By identifying these spatial behaviour patterns associated with missing hospital patients, police can refine probable search areas, allocate resources more efficiently, find the missing faster and develop better-informed responses and collaborative policies.Originality/valueOur research represents the first empirical investigation into missing persons from hospital settings through a spatial perspective. Through descriptive statistical and spatial analyses, we determine the distance between the hospital a given individual was reported missing from and the location of where they were ultimately found.

The role of innovation in building competitive advantages: an empirical investigation

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prodromos Chatzoglou ◽  
Dimitrios Chatzoudes
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose Nowadays, innovation appears as one of the main driving forces of organisational success. Despite the above fact, its impact on the propensity of an organisation to develop and sustain a competitive advantage has not yet received sufficient empirical investigation. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the existing empirical literature by focusing on the antecedents of innovation and its impact on competitive advantage. It proposes a newly developed conceptual framework that adopts a three-step approach, highlighting areas that have rarely been simultaneously examined before. Design/methodology/approach The examination of the proposed conceptual framework was performed with the use of a newly developed structured questionnaire that was distributed to a group of Greek manufacturing companies. The questionnaire has been successfully completed by chief executive officers (CEOs) from 189 different companies. CEOs were used as key respondents due to their knowledge and experience. The reliability and the validity of the questionnaire were thoroughly examined. Empirical data were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. The study is empirical (based on primary data), explanatory (examines cause and effect relationships), deductive (tests research hypotheses) and quantitative (includes the analysis of quantitative data collected with the use of a structured questionnaire). Findings Results indicate that knowledge management, intellectual capital, organisational capabilities and organisational culture have significant direct and indirect effects on innovation, underlining the importance of their simultaneous enhancement. Finally, the positive effect of innovation on the creation of competitive advantages is empirically validated, bridging the gap in the relevant literature and offering avenues for additional future research. Originality/value The causal relationship between innovation and competitive advantage, despite its significant theoretical support, has not been empirically validated. The present paper aspires to bridge this gap, investigating the impact of innovation on the development of competitive advantages. Moreover, the present study adopts a multidimensional approach that has never been explored in the existing innovation literature, making the examination of the proposed conceptual framework an interesting research topic.

Prisoner’s insomnia prevalence, insomnia associated factors and interventions with sleep as an outcome: a review and narrative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Griffiths ◽  
Farah Hina
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Randomised Control Trials ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Purpose Insomnia is highly prevalent in prisoners. The purpose of this paper is a review of research evidence on interventions with sleep as an outcome (2000 to 2020) and rates of insomnia prevalence and associated factors in prisons (2015 to 2020). Design/methodology/approach An internet-based search used Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO (EBSCOhost), Embase, Web of Science and Scopus. Seven interventions and eight sleep prevalence or sleep-associated factor papers were identified. Findings Intervention research was very limited and the quality of the research design was generally poor. Interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), yoga and mindfulness can be beneficial in a prison setting. This review identified a high prevalence of insomnia in prisons across the world, which was supported by recent evidence. Factors associated with insomnia include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorder and pain. Research limitations/implications There is a need for appropriately powered randomised control trials of CBT-I in prisons and a need to use objective measures of sleep quality. Originality/value Due to a lack of an up-to-date review, this paper fulfils the need for a review of the evidence on interventions in prison settings with sleep as an outcome, rates of insomnia prevalence and associated factors in prisons.

scholarly journals Cross-Sectional Study Reveals High Prevalence of Clostridium difficile Non-PCR Ribotype 078 Strains in Australian Veal Calves at Slaughter

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 2630-2635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Knight ◽  
Sara Thean ◽  
Papanin Putsathit ◽  
Stan Fenwick ◽  
Thomas V. Riley
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Difficile ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Cattle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Retail Meats ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Pcr Ribotyping ◽  
Ribotype 078

ABSTRACTRecent reports in North America and Europe ofClostridium difficilebeing isolated from livestock and retail meats of bovine origin have raised concerns about the risk to public health. To assess the situation in Australia, we investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity ofC. difficilein adult cattle and calves at slaughter. Carcass washings, gastrointestinal contents, and feces were collected from abattoirs across five Australian states. Selective culture, toxin profiling, and PCR ribotyping were performed. The prevalence ofC. difficilewas 56% (203/360 samples) in feces from <7-day-old calves, 3.8% (1/26) in 2- to 6-month-old calves, and 1.8% (5/280) in adult cattle. Three PCR ribotypes (RTs), RT127, RT033, and RT126, predominated in <7-day-old calves and comprised 77.8% (158/203 samples) of isolates. RT056, which has not been reported in cattle before, was found in 16 <7-day-old calves (7.7%). Surprisingly, RT078 strains, which dominate production animal carriage studies in the Northern Hemisphere, were not isolated.

scholarly journals An analytical framework for employment regulation: investigating the regulatory space

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Inversi ◽  
Lucy Ann Buckley ◽  
Tony Dundon
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Space Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labour Policy ◽  
Regulatory Approach ◽  
Multi Level

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance a conceptual analytical framework to help explain employment regulation as a dynamic process shaped by institutions and actors. The paper builds on and advances regulatory space theory. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses the literature on regulatory theory and engages with its theoretical development. Findings The paper advances the case for a broader and more inclusive regulatory approach to better capture the complex reality of employment regulation. Further, the paper engages in debates about the complexity of employment regulation by adopting a multi-level perspective. Research limitations/implications The research proposes an analytical framework and invites future empirical investigation. Originality/value The paper contends that existing literature affords too much attention to a (false) regulation vs deregulation dichotomy, with insufficient analysis of other “spaces” in which labour policy and regulation are formed and re-formed. In particular, the proposed framework analyses four different regulatory dimensions, combining the legal aspects of regulation with self-regulatory dimensions of employment regulation.

scholarly journals Knowledge representation for missing persons investigations

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 138-150
Author(s):  
Mark Taylor ◽  
Denis Reilly
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Representation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Situation Calculus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Missing Persons ◽  
State Changes ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Investigation Process ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Over Time

Purpose This paper aims to present the application of situation calculus for knowledge representation in missing persons investigations. Design/methodology/approach The development of a knowledge representation model for the missing persons investigation process based upon situation calculus, with a demonstration of the use of the model for a missing persons example case. Findings Situation calculus is valuable for knowledge representation for missing persons investigations, as such investigations have state changes over time, and due to the complexity of the differing investigation activities applicable to different situations, can be difficult to represent using simpler approaches such as tables or flowcharts. Research limitations/implications Situation calculus modelling for missing persons investigations adds formalism to the process beyond that which can be afforded by the current use of text, tables or flowcharts. The additional formalism is useful in dealing with the uncertainty present in such investigations. Practical implications The implications are a simplification of the application of the current police guidelines, and thoroughness in the application of such guidelines for missing persons investigations via situation calculus modelling. Social implications This paper supports the management of missing person investigations, by using the most critical variables in a missing persons investigation to determine relevant investigation and search activities applicable to the circumstances of a given case. Originality/value The novelty of the knowledge representation approach is the application of situation calculus via state and action vectors and a matrix of fluents to the process of missing persons investigations.

“Speaking truth to power”: analysing shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 510-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Tregidga
Keyword(s):  
Power Relations ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transformative Potential ◽  
Perceived Impacts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the act of shadow reporting by a social movement organisation as a form of shadow accounting within a sustained campaign against a target corporation. Situated within a consideration of power relations, the rationales underlying the production of the shadow report, and the shadow reports perceived value and limits as a shadow accounting mechanism, are investigated. Design/methodology/approach A Foucauldian approach to power/knowledge and truth is drawn upon in the analysis of a single case study. Alongside a consideration of the shadow report itself, interviews with both the preparers of the report and senior management of the corporation targeted comprise the main data. Findings The paper provides an empirical investigation into shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting. While a range of insights are garnered into the preparation, dissemination and impact of the shadow report, key findings relate to a consideration of power relations. The perceived “truth” status of corporate accounts compared to accounts prepared by shadow accountants is problematised through a consideration of technologies of power and power/knowledge formations. Power relations are subsequently recognised as fundamental to the emancipatory potential of shadow reporting. Research limitations/implications Results from a single case study are presented. Furthermore, given the production of the shadow report occurred several years prior to the collection of data, participants were asked to reflect on past events. Findings are therefore based on those reflections. Originality/value While previous studies have considered the preparation of shadow reports and their transformative potential, this study is, the author believes, the first to empirically analyse the preparation, dissemination and perceived impacts of shadow reporting from the perspectives of both the shadow report producers and the target corporation.

scholarly journals Improving emotional well-being for hospital-based patients with dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Petty ◽  
Amanda Griffiths ◽  
Donna Maria Coleston ◽  
Tom Dening
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Hospital Care ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hospital Nursing ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Hospital Resources

Purpose Improving hospital care for people with dementia is a well-established priority. There is limited research evidence to guide nursing staff in delivering person-centred care, particularly under conditions where patients are emotionally distressed. Misunderstood distress has negative implications for patient well-being and hospital resources. The purpose of this study is to use the expertise of nurses to recommend ways to care for the emotional well-being of patients with dementia that are achievable within the current hospital setting. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was conducted in two long-stay wards providing dementia care in a UK hospital. Nursing staff (n = 12) were asked about facilitators and barriers to providing emotion-focused care. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Nursing staff said that resources existed within the ward team, including ways to gather and present personal information about patients, share multidisciplinary and personal approaches, work around routine hospital tasks and agree an ethos of being connected with patients in their experience. Staff said these did not incur financial cost and did not depend upon staffing numbers but did take an emotional toll. Examples are given within each of these broader themes. Research limitations/implications The outcome is a short-list of recommended staff actions that hospital staff say could improve the emotional well-being of people with dementia when in hospital. These support and develop previous research. Originality/value In this paper, frontline nurses describe ways to improve person-centred hospital care for people with dementia.

scholarly journals Endemic hepatitis B virus (HBV) among hospital in-patients in Bangladesh, including evidence of occult infection

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury ◽  
Anna L McNaughton ◽  
Mohammad Robed Amin ◽  
Lovely Barai ◽  
Mili Rani Saha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Hbv Dna ◽  
Hbv Infection ◽  
Occult Hepatitis ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
B Virus ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Hospital Patients ◽  
Surface Gene

ABSTRACTBangladesh is one of the world’s top ten burdened countries for viral hepatitis. We investigated an adult fever cohort (n=201) recruited in Dhaka, to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and to identify cases of occult hepatitis B infection (OBI). HBV exposure (anti-HBc) was documented in 72/201 (36%), and active HBV infection in 16/201 (8%), among whom 3 were defined as OBI (defined as detectable HBV DNA but negative HBsAg). Applying a target-enrichment sequencing pipeline to samples with HBV DNA >3.0log10 IU/ml, we obtained deep whole genome sequences for four cases, identifying genotypes A, C and D. Polymorphisms in the surface gene of the OBI case may account for the negative HBsAg status. We identified mutations associated with nucleos(t)ide analogue resistance, although the clinical significance in this cohort is not known. The high prevalence of HBV in this setting highlights the benefits of offering screening in hospital patients and the importance of HBV DNA testing of transfusion products to reduce the risk of transmission. In order to work towards international Sustainable Development Goal targets for HBV elimination, increased investment is required for diagnosis, treatment and prevention in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Burnout syndrome among health care workers is associated with violence against them. What needs to be done?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elhadi Awooda
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
The Other ◽  
Burnout Syndrome ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Radical Solution

Background: During SARS-CoV2 pandemic, patients are becoming more aggressive against health care workers when seeking their demands. Violence against Health care workers is of multifactor, and a one that strongly has associated is their burnout syndrome. Objectives: The aim of this study was to draw a conclusion from the previous literatures about the association of violence against HCWs and their burnout syndrome. Also to find out other associated factors and solutions for this phenomenon. Results:  HCWs are subjected to stressful situations and high pressure; of highly infectious diseases (SARS-CoV2), shortage of PPE, working for more than 24 hours’ duty, without payment or reward, difficulties in the workplace and a poor hospital administration; all’s can lead to burnout syndrome. On the other hand, patient’s demand for the high expectations of their needs and attendants' (co-patients) fearfulness, anxiousness about their patient fate. Also, patient or co-patients believes on a doctor to be the only savior, so any unexpected behavior or un sympathy from the burned-out HCWs can result in aggressiveness and violence. Conclusion: The high prevalence of burnout syndrome among HCWs has become a global issue. A real attempt should be made focusing on the radical solution of the problem of burnout syndrome, rather than to enact laws to punish the aggressors against HCWs.

scholarly journals Anaplasma marginale Superinfection Attributable to Pathogen Strains with Distinct Genomic Backgrounds

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 5286-5292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Vallejo Esquerra ◽  
David R. Herndon ◽  
Francisco Alpirez Mendoza ◽  
Juan Mosqueda ◽  
Guy H. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Anaplasma Marginale ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Infectious Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Perfect Sequence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
High Prevalence

ABSTRACTStrain superinfection occurs when a second pathogen strain infects a host already infected with a primary strain. The selective pressures that drive strain divergence, which underlies superinfection, and allow penetration of a new strain into a host population are critical knowledge gaps relevant to shifts in infectious disease epidemiology. In regions of endemicity with a high prevalence of infection, broad population immunity develops againstAnaplasma marginale, a highly antigenically variant rickettsial pathogen, and creates strong selective pressure for emergence of and superinfection with strains that differ in their Msp2 variant repertoires. The strains may emerge either bymsp2locus duplication and allelic divergence on an existing genomic background or by introduction of a strain with a differentmsp2allelic repertoire on a distinct genomic background. To answer this question, we developed a multilocus typing assay based on high-throughput sequencing of non-msp2target loci to distinguish among strains with different genomic backgrounds. The technical error level was statistically defined based on the percentage of perfect sequence matches of clones of each target locus and validated using experimental single strains and strain pairs. Testing ofA. marginale-positive samples from tropical regions whereA. marginaleinfection is endemic identified individual infections that contained unique alleles for all five targeted loci. The data revealed a highly significant difference in the number of strains per animal in the tropical regions compared to infections in temperate regions and strongly supported the hypothesis that transmission of genomically distinctA. marginalestrains predominates in high-prevalence areas of endemicity.

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